


Hold my hand

by RaspberryDevil



Series: A bouquet of Zinnias [6]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adoption, Family Feels, Future Fic, M/M, Orphanage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 18:18:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13218351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaspberryDevil/pseuds/RaspberryDevil
Summary: He simply had closed his eyes for a moment before he realised that his Exceed had wandered off on their own. His fault for musing like an old man. Rogue takes a deep breath, tries to calm down. He doesn't want to lose his cool like the first time it had happened. Years later, Sting still liked to tease him because of that.“I wonder how you'd react if you lost your child like this”, he had said.('Jokes on you', Rogue would think later, when it's Sting who always fusses over their children.)





	Hold my hand

**Author's Note:**

> As announced, there is finally the Stingue story in which their family grows to end the year! And even with kind of an adventure plot, who would have thought? I didn't and I wrote this thing. I'm really glad that I finally managed to write about it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

Over the years, Rogue formed a habit to go trough the town or any crowd with his eyes up ahead and ignoring anyone around him. That way the voices weren't too loud and the scents not overwhelming. This is why it's a surprise that he even spots the two children near the market place. They are a boy and a girl, both probably not ten yet, skin darker than his. Her brown hair is tied up in a pony tail while he wears it short – they look like twins, though he isn't completely sure. Even close to thirty, children were a mystery to him.

 

(Though he also learnt that they are a mystery for anyone, even those who claim to know them.)

 

“They are going to scold us”, the little girl whispers; Rogue can still hear her and approaches them which causes her to tense up and him to take a defensive stand.

 

“Are you two lost?”

 

“No.”

 

They are. And so stubborn. Rogue can see it when he looks the boy in the eyes, how he doesn't back down, doesn't want to accept any help, even if they need it. To him, they obviously belong to the orphanage, though he doesn't feel like calling them out. It would be useless anyway. He tries another way instead, one of a few he knows works with children.

 

“I see. I assume you are on your way to Miss Clementine?”, he pretends to ask, scratching his goatee, “When you go past the market place and turn right in the direction of the church, following the stony path, tell her I said hello.”

 

He doesn't wait for them to say anything else before he continues his walk, though he slips in an alley once he is sure they can't see him. It takes a few moments before the children pass him, but he doesn't mind, moves in the shadows until he is sure they reach their home safely. It's the least he can do.

 

(Even if Sting complains that he is late – a few kisses here and there put a stop to his whining.)

 

* * *

 

These past days Rogue isn't as involved in the orphanage as he used to be, being on missions for long days – with his fiancé or not – and then resting for a couple of days. When he shows up, there are rarely old faces which reassures him, shows him that they can find a new home. He is sad when he sees all the new faces though, since those lost one.

 

This is why he didn't expect to see the two children again, especially not in the guild hall.

 

“You didn't tell us your name. Granny said we have to thank you”, the boy says, looking around instead of directly at Rogue, probably mustering all the strangers.

 

“My name is Mariana Antonia. And this is my brother Javier Augustin.”

 

“I'm Rogue. I'm afraid my name isn't so nice like yours.”

 

She chuckles, hiding behind the boy. He still doesn't seem too fond of Rogue, ready to yell again. Those who scream the loudest are the loneliest. It's a lesson Rogue was taught early on when he was a child himself. The quiet ones like him were lonely too, overlooked, but at least people liked them because they behaved.

 

“New friend of yours?”

 

Sting shows up behind him, curious. The boy looks wary of Sting, though less so when he did of Rogue. He can't blame them. Sting always looked way too cheery; even now with a beard he looks anything but scary. It's a good timing though, so Rogue doesn't hesitate to use this opportunity and ease the tension a bit. Besides, his partner is better at dealing with children than he is anyway.

 

“That's our guildmaster, Sting. Sting? These are Mariana and Javier.”

 

The children aren't too sure what to say. Sting regards them with a serious expression. Rogue tries not to snort – it's obvious to him that he is just acting, being more dramatic than he should be. They can't tell that yet.

 

In the end, he crosses his arms in front of his chest and grins.

 

“You're a bit too young to join, but you can stay.”

 

The boy seems to take it as an offence.

 

“We won't. You're only going to be mean. All grown ups are.”

 

Sting seems to think about these words until he squats down and acts like he has something important to say. It's charming and Rogue has to try hard not to smile.

 

“Let me tell you a secret then: I'm a grown-up but people are mean to me as well.”

 

“That's because you don't act like one”, Rogue says, more out of reflex than anything else, but Sting doesn't mind and works with it.

 

“See, this is what I mean.”

 

She chuckles again and Rogue can see how happy that makes Sting. The boy however doesn't share the same sentiment

 

“Your friend isn't really nice to you”, he says with all the seriousness a child like him could muster up which is not much, though Sting takes him serious all the same.

 

“Oh, normally he is. Sometimes we tease each other like this, but only because we know each other for a long time.”

 

“This is weird”, the boy says, looks like he can't wrap his head around the concept.

 

“Well, I'm an adult, we all are a bit weird, right?”

 

Sting turns around to face Rogue with a grin. He just sighs, but smiles and agrees with a simple 'Yeah, I guess so'. It earns him a weird look from the boy, but Sting just shrugs and claps, hands gently placing on their shoulders; they don't flinch and Rogue isn't in the least surprised.

 

“It's getting late. You should get home. Let one of my friends escort you.”

 

“Aren't you coming with us?”, the girl asks, almost hopefully.

 

“I would love to, but I have work. Not so funny part of being an adult. Me an Rogue try to visit though”, he promises, winking over Dobengal who raises an eyebrow but follows the gesture, listening to Sting's request.

 

(“Children love ninjas”, he had told him later which Rogue hadn't even acknowledged with an eye roll.)

 

The children are almost out of the door, Dobengal by their side, when Javier turns around.

 

“For an adult you are pretty okay.”

 

“Thank you”, Sting says, smiling, before the boy takes his sister's hand and immediately leaves, fleeing as if he was embarrassed to admit it.

 

Sting doesn't laugh until he is sure that they are gone, turning to Rogue. His lover just stares at him, so he raises an eyebrow in confusion.

 

“What?”

 

“I love you.”

 

Sting is thrown off by this casual confession. He opens his mouth. Closes it again. Blushes. Damn Rogue for catching him off-guard with this. It's not like he never says things like this, but he rarely does so in public.

 

“Hey, we could –”, he starts, almost bashfully, but is interrupted by the other one before he can finish voicing his thoughts.

 

“No. You have work”, Rogue says, won't allow him to slack, though adds, almost as an afterthought, “maybe later.”

 

(Sting hums for the rest of the day, finishing his business rather quickly.)

 

* * *

 

Just after the GMG, when they didn't know who they as a collective were, who they were going to be or wanted to be, Rogue tended to do missions in a group of four or five people. He wasn't used to that, watching out for someone else and neither were the others. Not to mention that he was used to a partner who could read him as well as the other way around.

 

It took them a while to realise that were was no need for that, that doing a mission on their own didn't mean they don't trusted each other. Yet Rogue enjoyed these missions from time to time, not really bonding but spending time together. He doesn't mind those jobs he has now as well, a few miles away from home, alone. It leaves him a bit of time thinking.

 

Or it would have if he hadn't lost Frosch.

 

He simply had closed his eyes for a moment before he realised that his Exceed had wandered off on their own. His fault for musing like an old man. Rogue takes a deep breath, tries to calm down. He doesn't want to lose his cool like the first time it had happened. Years later, Sting still liked to tease him because of that.

 

“I wonder how you'd react if you lost your child like this”, he had said.

 

('Jokes on you', Rogue would think later, when it's Sting who always fusses over their children.)

 

When he relaxes, he sees a fruit place nearby and, reminded of an earlier comment by Frosch, buys two apples. One for him and another for them. His Exceed will be happy about it, he's pretty sure. But he has to find them first.

 

Passing the inn they are staying at, he enters and hopes they found back on their own. There is no such luck. He does however meet someone else near the reception desk. He doesn't know the boy. He looks like he is no older than ten and lost. Rogue feels somehow sorry for him (and just maybe sees himself in him), so he offers him a half of his apple. The boy hesitates, but takes it, eating carefully.

 

“Aren't your parents here?”, he wants to know, noting the short copper-coloured hair which curls at the end and the clothes which look a bit too big on him – hand-me-down maybe?

 

“Oh, he is from the orphanage”, the man at the front tells him, “he comes here often. Though today it looks like he doesn't feel well. Something must have scared him.”

 

Rogue doesn't know if it's someone's way of remembering him of his promise to help out with the orphanage or just coincidence that he meets all these children lately. Some way to bring him back to the path of looking after them.

 

“I'm Rogue, a mage of Sabertooth”, he introduces himself, squatting so that he could look him in the eyes, “and what's your name?”

 

“...Linus”, he timidly replies; Rogue smiles at him.

 

“Linus, a strong name. Shall I accompany you back?”

 

He looks wary, as if he couldn't trust him. Well, he was an adult and a stranger, so it was rather smart of him not to do so right away.

 

“It's okay, boy. This guy is on a mission here, taking care of the monsters in the forest, you can trust him to bring you back safely, nobody will be mad with you”, the man says.

 

It seems to help the boy decide because he nods. Rogue reaches out his hand, leaving him the option to take it. He does, hesitantly. There is no talk and while the shadowdragonslayer doesn't mind, he wonders if the boy needs some verbal reassurance. However they don't make it far enough for him to come to a decision.

 

Rogue hears laughter, giggling, children's voices. A group of five are playing around a fountain, watched by amused and bemused adults alike. And Frosch is with them.

 

“Rogue!”

 

His Exceed flies up, much to the children's delight, before they stop in front of him.

 

“Frosch. Are you okay?”

 

“Fro saw a butterfly and followed it to the water.”

 

Of course they did. Now that Frosch is safe with him again, he smiles.

 

“Linus!”, one of the children, a boy, exclaims, “we were looking for you.”

 

“I'm sorry...”, the boy by his side mutters.

 

“Well then, your friends were looking for you, isn't this nice?”, Rogue says, assumes their ways part now.

 

However the children look at him and Linus was still holding his hand. Rogue tries not to sigh. The decision is obvious; they return to the orphanage together.

 

An old women waits outside where other children are playing on the grass. She reminds him of the lady at the orphanage in his city and wonders if she's equally stressed out as Miss Clementine tends to be when the months get colder and there are more children than she can individually can take care of.

 

“Oh, I see you found Linus! We were already worried. And who might the handsome man with you be?”, she says when she spots them, not even a hint of accusation or blame directed towards the children.

 

“Rogue Cheney, a mage from Sabertooth”, he tells her

 

“Oh my. Well, I'm Miss Maribelle, do you want to stay with us for a moment? It's time for some stories. Maybe you can tell us something as well?”

 

“Of course.”

 

(Rogue couldn't say no, even if he wanted to.)

 

* * *

 

“Sting, trouble!”

 

Any good mood in the guild is destroyed by Orga's shout when he storms in the guild hall. Sting is immediately moving from the bar to close in, alerted.

 

“There was an attack! On the orphanage. We thought it was just some misunderstanding, but they had a mark of a guild Rufus and I had encountered before. It was declared a dark one afterwards.”

 

“What does this mean? Do they want to take revenge?”, Yukino asks, looking from Orga to Rufus, worried about the children.

 

“Well, we did decimate their territory and took out a lot of their members”, Rufus remarks, “but that had been ages ago. A sect had been involved.”

 

“We don't know if it's just an action of a few members or the guild, but let's talk about this later. They kidnapped one of the children. Minerva is already after them. ”

 

Orga doesn't doubt that she can deal with the few members on her own, but they don't know how much more they have to expect, how many people might be involved – another guild maybe? – or if they put any traps on the way.

 

“Good, she'll take care of the most. Try to look after the remaining children and see if they need help. Dobengal? I leave it to you to follow her trail just in case.”

 

They can see how difficult it is for Sting to keep himself from rushing out and helping. But he is the guildmaster and in case a dark guild attacks them directly, he has to be there. And in these moments when he sees Sting coordinating them, worried but trusting in their abilities, Rufus couldn't be prouder to have him as their master.

 

* * *

 

They are weak. Rogue expected more when these unknown mages managed to get one of the children, to even be able to sneak up on him. But it was just good preparation which didn't matter in the end.

 

The boy is shaking though.

 

“Hey, it's okay, you're safe now”, he tells Linus, but his words have no effect, the fingers digging in his shirt trembling; Rogue doesn't hesitate to take him in his arms.

 

He heaves the boy up, holding him close. He doesn't cry but is visibly shaken and so Rogue wonders why he had been a target. He doesn't waste much thought on this though, slowly walking back to the inn; he assumes that the orphanage is not safe right now.

 

At the Inn, it's lively. Rogue doesn't have time to spot Frosch because the Exceed already launches themself at him.

 

“Is Linus okay?”, a girl wants to know, approaching them with a group of other children; Rogue is glad that they care for each other.

 

“Yeah. He's tired though.”

 

“We already got some help from the town. Some went to the orphanage in order to take in the damage.”

 

“Oh, I should have known”, Maribelle mourns, sitting between the children, head in her hands.

 

Rogue feels sorry for her. It's not easy looking after such young children, taking care of them. Still, he has to ask what their goal was if it's really Linus they had been after. She looks up and Rogue feels his heart ache when he sees how sad and tired her eyes seem.

 

“They were after a boy, Linus fit the description. The council warned all of us. I tell you the story if you want to.”

 

He nods.

 

“They didn't tell us all the details. Just that a few years ago, a guild had worked together with Zeref worshippers, pretending to be part in the plan of resurrecting him, but used their belief to abduct children and sell them. They were annihilated, the guild declared a dark one, but apparently the sect regrouped under the guild's symbol. Their goal now is to find the boy who is the child of that guild's man. They got the information that he was given to an orphanage from a past guildmate of said man.”

 

“So they steal children who have similarities to that mage?”

 

“The council said they might be looking for children with magic potential. I don't know.”

 

Rogue has the urge to reach out and hug the old women. He doesn't. He does place a hand on her shoulder and smiles.

 

“Don't worry. We won't allow them this action. I'll look out and see if there are more and take out the remains of that group. In the meanwhile, someone should notify the Rune Knights as well.”

 

She nods understandingly. Rogue hands the by now sleeping boy over to one of the adults and tells Frosch to stay with them as well.

 

“Rogue?”, Maribelle says, causing him to turn around again, “Thank you.”

 

He smiles before making his way to look what kind of group is still running around.

 

* * *

 

Rogue isn't back from his mission and Sting is worried. Until he reads the newspaper. Well, it's shoved in his face by Yukino who shows him an article about a town close by and its rebuilding efforts.

 

His first instinct as a guildmaster is to connect the description of happenings to what took place at their orphanage, wondering if those in other towns close by had something similar happen to them. Probably. It should agitate him, but reading that his fiancé is helping out at an orphanage calms him down.

 

Sting hesitates.

 

His contact from Lamia Scale still hasn't arrived, but these cases seem to be connected. He did a good job the past days, looked after the guild. He can be selfish now, can't he?

 

“Rufus?”, he calls for his friend, looking up from the newspaper.

 

“Go, we handle the rest.”

 

Sting grins, ignoring how easy they guessed what he wanted.

 

“Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

When Rogue leaves his room in the inn because the keeper told him someone asked for him, he expects to see one of the children. Who he doesn't expect was Sting. He's glad though, that it's him.

 

“You okay?”, Sting wants to know after Rogue took him along to his room.

 

“Yeah, just wanted to help rebuild.”

 

“You're injured”, he notices, thumb brushing along the bandages around his wrists.

 

“Don't worry.”

 

“I do though.”

 

Rogue reaches out for his sleeve. Sting follows the silent request and leans in, allowing Rogue to cup his cheeks and kiss him. He missed this. Missed him.

 

“You did what you can here, right? I took a report along to inform the people here what happened in our town. The council and their knights can handle the rest.”

 

“I need to tell the children good-bye first”, he whispers against his lips, before kissing him again.

 

“Let me come with you”, Sting says, holding his hand.

 

“Tomorrow. Let's go to sleep now.”

 

Sting smiles.

 

“Of course.”

 

* * *

 

When Rogue shows up with a guy the children don't know, they already seem to know what's going on.

 

“Are you going to leave?”, one of the boys asks.

 

“Yes, I need to go back to my guild.”

 

“Will you visit us?”, another one wants to know, gaze shifting from the blond to Rogue, eyes wide.

 

“I can't promise that.”

 

They don't seem as upset as he thought they would be.

 

“Sometimes no promise is better than a promise you can't keep”, the old woman tells him.

 

Parting from them hurts, especially from Linus who lingers back and is pushed forward by one of the other children. Sting greets him, but while he shies away from his touch, he doesn't get mad. It affirms Rogue in one thing he had been thinking about for a while. Now he just needs to be sure about it.

 

Rogue never thought that he was the one who would bring it up. It's not like he hates the idea itself, after all they had talked about it before. But Sting was the one of them who loved children. Who said that one day, just before he awkwardly proposed, he'd like to be a family with two children (and a few months later, when he was drunk, said they are going to have a dozen in a big house). Sting was the one who, when they meet Lucy's newborn a few months ago, said he can't wait to have a child himself one day as well.

 

“Sting? What do you think about adopting Linus?”, he asks him once they are home.

 

“Really?”

 

He sounds surprised. Rogue just shrugs.

 

“I think we're ready. Well, there is a lot we'd have to learn first, but – ”

 

“Are you sure? I mean, yes, I want to be a dad, but if you feel forced – ”

 

He looks excited but nervous at the same time, so Rogue takes his hand in his to ground him and look him in the eyes.

 

“I want to as well.”

 

(Despite of that, it takes a week until Rogue takes up the courage to write Maribelle and waiting anxiously for her reply.

 

Two weeks later they are on their way to the village again)

 

* * *

 

They take their time to get to now him first, don't want to just tear him away from a place he's been at since he can remember, from his friends and his caretaker. They try to visit each week, either to just spend time with the children and telling stories or to do a mission close by.

 

It's difficult, to say good bye each time, but they know if they'd tell the boy that they want to take him with them, it would be even harder, the waiting and waiting and waiting. Because over the weeks, one thing never changed – the wish to adopt him.

 

Eventually, not even three months later, they get a letter from Maribelle. 'You should ask him', it reads and Sting had never been as quick in composing a response letter than he had been that day.

 

* * *

 

Linus realises that something is different, even if he can't name it. Maribelle had asked him to come along and greet Rogue who came to visit. He hadn't hesitated. He liked Rogue and even if Sting is loud sometimes, he likes him as well. They were nice people. But the blond man seems nervous and it confuses him.

 

“Hey, how are you, little one?”

 

“I'm fine.”

 

“That's good to hear. Say, did we ever mention that Rogue and me are actually engaged?”

 

The boy shakes his head. He'd remember something like that. But now if he thinks about it, the older children had talked about something like this.

 

“Well, we are. I also live together with Rogue. And if you'd like to, we'd want you to live with us as well.”

 

Maribelle puts a hand on his back.

 

“They want to be your parents, little one.”

 

It's a bit overwhelming. But when he looks up to Rogue who smiles at him, he calms down. He doesn't know why these two would want him of all the children. He hasn't shown any talent in magic so far and he also has trouble with reading as well as writing. Oh, and bad guys had been after him. He is just going to get them in trouble.

 

“Linus? You can say no. We won't force you”, Rogue says.

 

He shakes his head.

 

“I-I'd like to. Come with you”, he says, hands wringing the hem of his shirt before looking up and giving them a shy smile; it lifts the tension from their shoulder.

 

The children hug him, tell him to take care. Some look like they expected it while others tell him to come and visit soon. Rogue hopes that they'll find a home as well. If not with a family, then maybe in a guild. Maybe both. He believes that they can manage it.

 

Sting suggest that they don't take the train. It's better that way, he says, because the boy can get around, see what's outside of the town. They need to do some talking anyway. Rogue believes he just doesn't want to make a fool of himself by getting motion sickness. So he ignores him and buys them tickets.

 

“Linus is going to sleep”, he says and indeed, the boy had looked rather sleepy and as soon as they sit comfortably on their seats, he falls asleep against his side.

 

(Sting smiles upon this view, at least until he feels the starts of their usual sickness.)

 

* * *

 

It's a small ray of light which wakes Rogue up, shining trough the door he was sure Sting had closed. But when he looks, nobody is there. Glancing at Sting who sleeps peacefully, Rogue sighs before he gets up.

 

The room Linus can call his is the former study. Sting moved anything work related up to the attic (which had been a pain to clean) so that the boy had a room for himself. It even has a little balcony they are sure he'll appreciate.

 

“Linus? Couldn't sleep?”

 

Rogue makes his presence known before he carefully steps into the room. The boy has hid himself under the blanket and Rogue knows better than to pull it away.

 

“It's okay. This is all new. Do you want to have Lector and Frosch with you?”

 

It's still difficult to tell what he might want or not. He is aware of children interests in Exceeds though, so he offers it. And it helps so far that the boy looks up from under the blanket, but he shakes his head.

 

Rogue tries to remember what his mother did for him when he couldn't sleep. Not much, actually. He had always slept by her side and it was comfortable, allowing him to drift off.

 

Oh.

 

Well, Rogue thinks, this sounds easier.

 

“Do you want to come with me and sleep in our bed?”

 

It should have been obvious that the boy still isn't sure how to act around them, to ask for things. This just meant that he and Sting have to make more effort so that he knows. And this is a start, he thinks, when the boy slowly comes forth under the blanket, taking Rogues hand and quietly tiptoes to their bedroom. Rogue can't help smiling when Linus crawls on the bed to lie in the middle and looks up to him. He doesn't think about it when he joins, leaving a little light on, just so that when he might wake up can see where he is.

 

“Rogue? Linus?”

 

Sting sounds sleepy and a bit confused.

 

“Couldn't sleep”, is all Rogue says and it looks to be enough because Sting raises his arm and with a bit of hesitation, Linus moves.

 

Rogue follows and wraps his arm around them as well.

 

“Good night.”

 

* * *

 

When Rogue wakes up, the other two are gone. He thinks about turning around and sleeping another hour, but the smell of breakfast reaches him and his stomach has more to say than his sleepy mind.

 

“Good morning”, Sting greets him with a smile when he enters the kitchen.

 

Linus already sits at the table, wishing him a quiet good morning as well; he isn't as good as dealing with a grumpy father in the morning like Sting is, but Rogue doesn't mind. He gets a morning kiss from Sting who makes up for enough energy in the morning before he sits across from Linus at the table.

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

He nods.

 

“I told him we're going to leave the door open from now on, so that he can come in whenever he likes.”

 

Rogue doesn't know what he expects, but Linus makes himself smaller. As if he is embarrassed that he is the centre of their talk.

 

“Sounds good.”

 

It an achievement, when Linus looks up to him, hands in his lap as he realises they mean no harm, that he is no bother.

 

This, Rogue realises, when a tired Lector joins and a cheery Frosch sits down, is his new family.

 

And from now on, he continues to cherish each day spending with them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! Looking forward to the next year and working on more stories for them! Keep an eye on my tumblr writing blog HimbeerTeufel to see the Trivia behind the stories in a few days and maybe a little surprise as well.
> 
> Stay healthy and happy!


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